“No matter gay, straight or bi… lesbian transgender life. I’m on the right track, baby I was born to survive!” Internet star Jojo Siwa danced to these iconic lyrics from Lady Gaga’s Born this way on Tik Tok. This got everyone talking and speculations hung in the air. Later on, Siwa tweeted a picture of herself in a shirt that said “Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever.”. Jojo immediately received an outpour of positive responses across various platforms welcoming her to the queer community from fans and celebrities alike.
In an Instagram live two days later, she addressed her announcement. Siwa talked about how she had always known. “…I liked people. If that person happened to be a boy… great! If that person happened to be a girl… great”, she said. She happily gushed as she answered further questions during the rest of the live. “I am the happiest I’ve ever been!”, she said, smiling. Answering a question about labels, she mentioned that she didn’t quite know yet and did not want to ascribe herself a label. She highlighted time and time again that despite her overtly positive social media image, she had not been this happy in a while. Above all, she thanked her fans repeatedly and mentioned that she wanted them to know that this world is filled with so much love.
While she received an outpour of positive reactions, not all were happy. A commenter on Instagram mentioned that she would never let her daughter watch her again. Siwa’s response was short and sweet.”Okay!”, she replied, in a comment that has over 50k likes.
What this might mean-
Coming to the limelight while competing in Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition, she quickly rose to fame, growing especially popular as a cast member on Lifetime’s Dance Moms. It truly will be a moment to remember considering that Internet star Jojo Siwa has a massive online presence that keeps expanding. With hugely successful tours and products with her name on it in major stores across the States, she continues to be a force to be reckoned with.
Boasting more than twelve million subscribers on YouTube, 30 million followers on Tik Tok, and 10 million on Instagram, she is in a position to positively influence millions. Especially considering her young fanbase, this ultimately, opens doors for further conversation. Firstly, the millions of kids that watch her might be encouraged to challenge heteronormativity. Above all, however, they get to learn that safe-places for queer voices exist and are welcoming of queer youth.
Images by- @itsjojosiwa.
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